Ultra-violet ray transmitting material



.P y25,1933; .YP.STEWART" 1,919,6

- 1 ULTRA-VIOLEWT RAY TRANSMITTING MATERIAL H Original Filed Deb. 18, 1929 I r cum? I? Siewarf Patented 25, 1933 PATENT o cg jormRnns r. srnwaiir, or LOSJANGELES, CALIFORNIA:

ULTRA-VIOLET RAY 'mmnsmrcr'rmo MATERIAL Application filed December 18,1929, Serial No. 415,094. Renewed J'anuary 21, 1933. i

This invention or discovery relates to an ultra-violet ray transmitting material. I

have discovered that whenthe shell of a shell fish, known as Placuna Placenta which "13 is found near the. Philippine Islands and commonly known in such localities asKapa, is thoroughly cleaned that this shell has peculiar properties which are quite advantageous in that the material has the ability] of.

lo transmitting ultra-violetrays, I 7

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide. anminiprove'd ultra-violet ray transmittin .material having the advantages developed rom such discovery. The im- 15 proved materal is highly advantageous in that, it not only is capable of transmitting a large portion. ofultra-violet rays but also itYhas the advantage of being weather resistant, thus enabling windows or panels to beformed of the material for sun porch purposes and the like wherein the panels or windows are subject to weather.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description, and specifically-pointed outin the appended claims,

reference is hadto the accompanying drawingfor an illustrative embodiment of the invention. wherein p v Fig. 1 is a plan view of one'of the shells, illustrated as having been cleaned and ready who cut into a -section of suitable form enabling'the sections to be combined together in forming a window panel or the like.

of the Placuna Placenta variety of shell fish,

commonly found in the Philippine Islands and known in such localities as Kapa. One

59 of such shells is indicated at 10 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 2is a plan view of one of the sections.

This shell fish has shells which are highly suitable for my purposes in that one shell of the shellfish is substantially fiat, the other shell isusually concavwconvex to a greater or less degree. I prefer to employ only the fiat shells for my purposes although the concavoconvex shells may be employed in forming curved or domed shape panel structures. These shells are cleaned by scraping and are preferably brushed thoroughly with a solution of acid. I find 21.10% solution of 'hydro-chloric acid or of nitric acid suitable for these purposes. The. resulting shell structure is substantially: flat and may be of the approximate appearance as shown in F ig; 1. It is translucent, allowing light to pass therethrough, but preventing images 'to be clearlytransmitted unless theobjects producing the image are located "directly against one side of'the' shell. The shell is quite thin, being one-sixteenth of an inch or thinner in thickness, and has a laminated structure. The laminations I find cause the shell to be quite'stro'ng, being materially stronger than ordinary window glass.

I cut the shell, when it is't-hus thoroughly cleaned, into a regular shape, such shape being indicated by dotted lines upon Fig. 1, and in this manner a section, indicated'at 11 in Fig. 2, is produced. The section which I have illustrated is rectangular in form but it will be readily understood'that other suitable shapes such as triangles, hexagons, diamonds, and the like, may be adopted if desired. In making a suitable window panel, as shown in Fig. 3, a plurality of these sections 11 are assembled together in end to end relation, preferably with staggered joints. The sections are connected together by leading 12 so that the completed panel is constructed in a manner quite similar to that in which stained glass windows have been manufactured heretofore.

In'ereetinga section of roofing I preferably employ suitable s'upports indicated at bent at their upper ends and have flanges 17. Likewise sheet metal members 18, which are reversely bent at their longitudinal center lines and which provide at their bases flanges 19, are supported on the cross members 14. The sections 11 are positioned on the flanges 17 and 19 withoverlapping edges so that-the sections are positioned in a manner quite similar to that in positioning shingles in the conventional manner. verted channel strips are then 1 provided which are filled with putty or similar material and these channel strips are forced downwardly over the tops of the sheet metal members 18 toward the sections 11. The

putty is thus pressed against the sectionsll,

jholdingthem in place and forming a weather proof joint.

These channel strips may be held in position by suitable fastening elements indicated at 21, which are'extended laterally through apertures in the channel strips and in the sheet metal members 18. The ends of these fastening elements may be cut ofiiwhen the roof is completed.

The improved window panel or roofing structure is highly advantageous in its ability to transmit ultra-violet rays and its ability to withstand weather. I have procured results of a test of this material for transmitting ultra-violet rays in comparison with. other materials known to have similar properties. A quartz plate has the ability of transmitting ultra-violet rays having wave lengths down-to roughly 2537A degrees. A compound now on the market under the tradename of Corex has the ability'of transmitting'ultra-violet rays to nearly -the same extent. The product of my discovery and invention is capable of transmitting ultra-violet rays down through 3021A degrees. As compared with thin 'plate glass, .such .glass is only capable of transmitting such waves having a wave .grees.

, used for my purposes because of the expense length down to approximately 4100A de- Ordinarily a quartz plate cannot be involved. I find that Corex is unsuitable for my purposes because of its inability to withstandweathering. When subjected to weather the Corex in the course of time desired.

radiation.

From the above described discovery and constructions it will be readily apparent that an improved material has been developed which is 'highly advantageous for the pur ose of transmitting ultra-violet rays. T e material can be relatively cheaply produced as these shells are relatively abundant in the localities in which they are found. The thicknessv of the shell may be 7 reduced by continued scraping and cleaning with acids so that practlcally any thickness of the sections l-l can be obtained. The improved material is relatively strong and is quite suitable for sun porch purposes and the like in that it transmits day light by virtue of its translucent character and 1t will not transmit images of 'persons'taking sun baths on the sun porch. The ability to withstand the 'weather and the ability to transmit practically allof the ultra-violet rays present insun light at the earths surface I consider as being the most important advantages present in the new material.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

, I claim: I

i 1. The method of transmitting ultra-violet rays which comprises placing cleaned Placuna Placenta shell between a source of such rays and the place where the rays-are 2.'A window for transmitting ultra-violet rays comprising a frame and clean light transmitting Placuna Placenta shell in the frame.

CHARLES P. STEWART. 

